Lyr Add: Say a Prayer for Dirty

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 10:36 PM

I think the plane was probably TWA 800 which happened just ten days earlier.

The L.A. Times had this, but no more about a Ho Lai:

May 6, 1995 | DON LEE, TIMES STAFF WRITER
In a Santa Ana garment maker's parking lot, lunch provides daily relief from the drudgery of minimum wage jobs for scores of Vietnamese workers. As music and cigarette smoke rise from their open car doors, some of them kick a soccer ball around. Others play cards across a strawberry carton. Mingling discreetly among them is Ho Lai, listening, comforting, offering hope--and a union card to sign.

Not sure what happened there so don't know if that's who he is referring to.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 07:32 PM

I missed this the first time around, probably because I usually set the filter to show only threads that have "lyr" in the thread title. Thanks for refreshing it, and for adding "Lyr Add:" to the thread title.

This was worth reading.

It contains some references to Richard Jewell and the Centennial Olympic Park bombing of 1996, and to Eric Robert Rudolph who bombed clinics in Atlanta and Birmingham, AL in 1996-98.

I vaguely remember something about a plane that was (some say) shot down by a missile. Can anyone supply a link?

Also, who is/was "that Ho Ly chinaman" he mentions?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 06:20 PM

Refresh as a reminder of the gems hiding in the depths of this wondrous place.

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: MichaelAnthony
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 10:05 PM

The mix-up is partially my part. I sent part II of Death Row Cadillac to Bert after sending part I. He naturally assummed it was an improvement on the first, but it was actually just meant to be a continuation of the song. I'd like to share a better mixed version with you. I could give you access to my driveway.com storage. I'll upload it soon.

But that was a different song than Say a Prayer for Dirty. Anyone else is welcome to their musical interpretation of the prayer text....it seems to me we should keep the vocal part true to the text for now...or add to it, but certainly not omit any of it.

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: SINSULL
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 09:42 PM

Max and Bert played your recording of this. But the quality was not great. A mixup in tapes, I think. Still very interesting. Will we get a better sample?

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: MichaelAnthony
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 09:30 PM

Sin, the only editing I did was to inadvertantly add a "'" to a dont. Let er rip as is, I say. (I gave him back the original the next day, and don't plan on asking him about it)

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: SINSULL
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 09:25 AM

Art,
You did. I was only teasing.
Michael - was this handwritten? We have some organizations here in NY which publish articles, poetry, etc. written by the homeless. Nothing this real.

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: MichaelAnthony
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 11:47 PM

For a second I wondered who Guest was, but it was me who posted using a different browser.

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 10:30 PM

This was all on paper, no tune for it. I was walking up to the gas station to get some cigarrettes when I made the mistake of making eye contact with him, and then I had no choice but to deal with him. I gave him exactly enough money, including tax, to buy a 22-ounce beer. I decided to have one myself to deal with what I had in my hands.

Personally, I'm not through figuring out the risks of association with this subject matter. But Dirty doesn't seem to have anything to lose, so I posted it, but I won't describe him. I see him all the time, like it or not, so I'll be sure to pass along the comments here.

Thanks for for your kind words, Áine. I'm one of those people who can use all the encouragement they can get. I hope to be around a long time, too!

Saying a prayer, MA

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: Jeri
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 10:10 PM

My first opinion was that the person who wrote this is a genius who thinks a lot differently than I do. That's still what I think.

So who did it?
Some people [who] dont anser to no one
Just like the people on that plane dont no more.
An two people at the park no more.

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: Art Thieme
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 09:55 PM

Hi Mary,

What I thought I said (or what I meant to say), was that COUNTRY MUSIC, after 1940, rarely was roots based music any more. Also, it is THE PROCESS the song goes through that tends to make it a folk song.

Art

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: Áine
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 09:08 PM

Dear MichaelAnthony,

Now that my own PC is up and running again (it was just lying there on my desk with its four little mouse feet up in the air earlier today), I'll be putting Dirty's song in the Songbook. Could you please tell us some more about how you came by this song, so I could include it in the 'Comments' on the song's page? Where you going when you met up with Dirty? What did he/she look like? How much change did you give him/her? Did you ever see him/her again? I think you know where I'm going with this...

This is just a fascinating piece of work. I would really like to see you turn it into an actual song. Frankly, I can't think of a better person to do it. I can't tell you how glad I am (and I think a lot of my fellow 'Catters will agree) that you found us. And I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that I hope you stay around for a long, long time.

All the best, Áine

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 08:47 PM

Michael, did "Dirty" have a tune/rap for this or was it on paper? It's fascinating!

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: mousethief
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 05:39 PM

Wow, indeed! THAT is "folk."

Alex
O..O
=o=

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: guinnesschik
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 05:32 PM

wow....

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 05:29 PM

I'd get a little pissed that Dirty didn't get any royalties, too. Too bad there isn't some way to let Dirty know how much we all appreciate the heart and soul of his/her writing/life expression.

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: SINSULL
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 04:44 PM

Art,
Folk music written AFTER 1940???? Thank you. And I will say a prayer for Dirty too.
Mary

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: Art Thieme
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 03:48 PM

Folks, it's what this whole trad folk thing is all about. We'll save it---and change it---and put the tune o' some old Dylan song to it. In ten or twenty (or 30) years from now, it'll get changed a bit more. Then a trio will put it on their new folk "compact cube" and make a million bucks and nobody gets pissed off 'cause a million is worth about .50 ! Whooooops, spoke too quick. Sandy and Art* and Frank get pretty bent out of shape because Michael Anthony, the original guy, who first posted it here, never got any royalties.

Yep, good people, some things never change.

Art* Thieme

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From:
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 03:10 PM

*

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 02:15 PM

So powerful. Tears.

~S~

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 01:37 PM

Jutst to give people who might have missed this another chance to look at it, because I think it is worth looking at.

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Sep 00 - 07:45 AM

That is powerful. It's like Woodie Guthrie through kaleidoscope. Thanks for retrieving it Michael, and putting it in a safe place here.

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: MichaelAnthony
Date: 17 Sep 00 - 11:44 PM

Well put, kat and Carol.

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: CarolC
Date: 17 Sep 00 - 03:26 AM

I can't say anything about this piece of writing that would add to it in any way. But I want to take a moment to acknowlege it's poignancy and the beauty (and sadness) of the depth of its humanity.

Carol (Saying a prayer for Dirty)

Subject: RE: b: Say a Prayer for Dirty
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Sep 00 - 01:01 AM

Sounds like some true poetry, straight from the heart of a difficult existence, to me. I can *hear* it rappin' in my head. Thanks for posting it.

Subject: Lyr Add: SAY A PRAYER FOR DIRTY
From: MichaelAnthony
Date: 17 Sep 00 - 12:54 AM

I live near an area of Atlanta called L5P. You wouldn't believe the stuff crazed people give you when you give them some change. Check this out:

Say a Prayer for Dirty

Wel I live here in Georgy the year is 2000
An they call me Dirty or Crazy, an I beg for my housein
Twaz 4 years ago those olympics ride thro here
And some people they dont anser to no one did these things I fear

Now I stay in Atlantah and thats where it happend
It waz ninehunert ninteensix and I woodve been there
Maybe been killed as I stud there
The bombs berstine in the air at the Olympick Park
but my freind he too drunk we went to his home

Now we didnt watch the television but I was ichin for an eskape
Been pondring too much about the plane been shot down
And hunerts of people saw the missils they lookd like pink fire works
And the plane it exploded it warrant no coincidence
And hunerts of people killed body piaeces fell in to the ocean
I was trubbled that night and hopin for some ansers
But some people dont anser to know one wont listen to 200 diffrent witneses about missils.
An today.

An the next morning we wached the television had some coccola an cigars
Now I can tell when a man is lyin but that man Jewell warrant lyin
But the paper said he done it put the bomb in that bag
An some people don't answer to no one who trick him into signing away his rites
Im really troubled why they dont anser to no one.
An today I get remindid case of that Ho Ly chinaman is Jewell all agein
Cause some people dont anser to no one do politics.

Now that Rudolf he wicked and is sure going to hell if he bomb the clinics
But any 1 with any commen sense know he no motive to bomb those olympicks
So who did it some people dont anser to no one just like the people on that plane dont no more.
An two people at the park no more.

Now at that very time twaz fours years ago
That wanted new legeslasen to get throu the congress conserning explozons
Now Im realle troubled an some people don't anser to no one dont ansir to no one.

An if you were to come at me and have me commuted
Or arrested for trees or rail road me bad
Im Dirty and Im a coward and dont know nothin
I beg for my housein an pay by makin up the beds
I'L take a drink if its offerd to quit down my restlesnes

So say a prayer for Dirty and to give me back my sanite.
An for the people they dont anser to no one.
Cept if theres a god but Im not figurin on a god right now Im still yung an still hav my memory.
And you could remembra and 25 years on down we can find out what is provd true.
But 25 years on down some people still dont anwer to no one cause evrybody craze.

So say a prayer for Dirty an to give me back my sanite
Cause Im Dirty and Im a coward and dont know nothin
I beg for my housin and pay by makin up the beds
I'L take a drink if its offerd to quit down my restlesnes.

(line breaks added)